Both speakers noted that the ability of pipeline infrastructure to play its essential role is heavily dependent on the development, introduction and deployment of technology. Collaborative processes are necessary to enable required funding to be sourced from companies – in the same way that energy markets are becoming more global in nature, the means of effecting solutions to existing and emerging problems is becoming more global as well. In this respect the joint collaborative arrangements between EPRG, PRCI and APIA have an important role to play.
PRCI’s technology programs have a short to medium term focus of 1-4 years and are aimed mainly at issues of system integrity, addressing both safety and reliability issues. There are currently 35 member companies involved in PRCI’s research program. Nearly three-quarters of PRCI’s budget is dedicated to pipeline integrity issues including prevention of mechanical damage, enhanced pipeline inspection, inspection of ‘unpiggable’ pipelines, improved steel pipe, new welding processes and inspection capabilities and the detection and management of all forms of pipeline cracking phenomena.
The EPRG consists of 19 member companies (10 gas transmission and 9 pipe manufacturing companies) from eight European countries. EPRG’s mission is to use the combined expertise of its members to address common issues regarding the technical integrity of gas transmission pipelines. The main areas of activities are pipe manufacturing, pipeline design, construction, operation and maintenance. EPRG has undertaken full scale burst tests on pipelines since 1973 and is a recognised world expert in ductile fracture propagation and crack arrest in transmission pipelines. Current activities also encompass corrosion research and state-of-the-art pipeline design.
Both PRCI and EPRG are very supportive of the entry of APIA into their research collaboration program which took place in 2001 at the 13th Joint Technical Meeting (JTM) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The agreement provides the framework for realising the benefits of international collaborative effort. This aspect will be built on at the May 2005 JTM in Orlando, Florida, hosted by PRCI and will be followed by a JTM to be hosted by APIA in 2007.
